Gridstones
Gridstones Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Ages: 7+. Number of Players: 2-6. Time to Learn: Less than a minute. Time to Play: 20-30 minutes.
Components: One Sky Board (a 6 x 6 GRID), one deck of 49 Constellation Cards, 7 Shooting Star Cards (for advanced play), 35 Star Stones (STONES), velvet bag, instructions.
Objective
Be the player to spot the most constellations in the sky.
Setup
Place the GRID where it is accessible to all players (i.e. in the centre of the table).
Disperse the STONES in a few piles around the GRID, so everyone can reach them.
Shuffle the deck.
For 2 players: Use the 4x4 GRID (Purple squares only). Deal out 5 Constellation Cards to each player.
For 3 or 4 players: Use the 5x5 GRID (Purple and White squares only). Deal out 4 Constellation Cards to each player.
For 5 or more players: Use the 6x6 GRID (Purple, White and Navy squares). Deal out 3 Constellation Cards to each player.
The player who has most recently been to a museum takes the first turn.
Turn Sequence
Each player, on his or her turn, must do the following:
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Attempt to match one or more Constellation Cards from his or her hand to any corresponding section within the GRID (see 'Making a Match').
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The player must then either add a STONE to an empty space on the GRID or remove an existing STONE from the GRID. If there are no STONES to remove, the player must add a STONE. If there are no empty spaces available on which to place a STONE, the player must take away an existing STONE.
Notes:
- Players cannot move previously played STONES to other areas on the GRID. STONES can only be added or removed.
- Players cannot add STONES beyond the border of the appropriate GRID (for example, in a 3 or 4-player game, the navy squares are excluded; and in a 2-player game, both the white and navy squares are excluded).
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After completing step 2, the player may again attempt to match one or more Constellation Cards from his or her hand to any corresponding section within the GRID (see 'Making a Match').
Making a Match
A player can only identify a match on his or her turn.
Constellation Cards may be turned to any orientation in order to identify a match on a 3x3 section of the GRID. However, the STONES and voids must be an exact match to the pattern on the Constellation Card before a match can be declared.
(Example diagram: a 3x3 section of the GRID matching a Constellation Card.) This is a match.
If a player finds a match, he or she places the Constellation Card face-up on the table and identifies the match on the GRID.
Note:
- A Constellation Card only has to match at the time it is played. Each Constellation Card laid down is considered a point, and remains so even as play continues and the GRID is altered.
Winning the Game
The first player to put down all his or her Constellation Cards, having successfully made matches to the GRID with each Constellation Card, wins the game.
2-Player Special Rules
In order to ensure that a two-player game does not end up in stale mate:
If your opponent adds a STONE to the GRID, you cannot remove this STONE on your following turn.
If your opponent removes a STONE from the GRID, you cannot place a STONE in this same spot on your following turn.
Rules for Extended Games
A. Point Game (2+ players)
Each player starts with 3 Constellation Cards, regardless of the number of players.
When a player lays down a Constellation Card for a match, he or she draws a new one from the deck.
The first player to lay down 10 Constellation Cards is the winner.
In a game of 5 or more players, if all the Constellation Cards are taken and no one has reached 10, the player with the most Constellation Cards on the table is the winner.
If this results in a tie, the players involved continue taking turns with the remaining Constellation Cards in their hand. The next player to make a match with one of their remaining Constellation Cards is the winner.
B. Elimination Game (3+ Players)
Once a player has laid down all his or her Constellation Cards, the remaining players continue the game. Play continues until only one player has Constellation Cards remaining. This player is eliminated.
The remaining players start a new game after each elimination, until only one player remains. This player is the winner.
Notes:
- If a player lays down his or her last Constellation Card before adding or removing a STONE, the player must still do so before the game can continue.
- As the number of players decrease, the amount of Constellation Cards dealt and the size of the GRID must also change (see Setup for correct quantities).
Advanced Play – Shooting Star Cards
For an extra challenge, deal out one Shooting Star Card to each player at the beginning of the game. Shooting Star Cards can be played at any time during a player's turn, but can only be used once per game.
Shooting Star Card abilities include:
- PLACE 1 EXTRA STAR THIS TURN – the player gets to place (not remove) an additional STONE when this card is used.
- REMOVE 1 EXTRA STAR THIS TURN – the player gets to remove (not place) an additional STONE when this card is used.
- MOVE 1 STAR TO AN ADJACENT SPACE IN PLACE OF YOUR TURN – the player gets to move (not place or remove) a STONE to an adjacent empty space when this card is used.
- TRADE IN 1 CONSTELLATION CARD FOR A NEW CARD FROM THE DECK – the player may replace one of his or her Constellation Cards in-hand with one from the top of the deck.
- ROTATE A 2X2 SPACE OF STARS CLOCKWISE – the player gets to rotate all the STONES in a 2x2 area by 1 space clockwise (see example in the instructions).
- ROTATE A 2X2 SPACE OF STARS COUNTER-CLOCKWISE – the player gets to rotate all the STONES in a 2x2 area by 1 space counter-clockwise.